Star Trek: The Virus
by NCC-1701
Summary: A Virus implanted into Picard by the Borg is forcing Picard to unknowingly assimilate the Federation!


Ships log, USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E. Stardate 535642.4. Commander William T. Riker recording; I have taken The Enterprise to the end of Federation territory after receiving a disturbing message from Starfleet Command three days ago.  
  
USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E, Deep Space 9, Three days ago.  
  
Captain Picard was in his ready room. There wasn't much for him to do. He was awaiting his orders from Starfleet Command. The doorbell bleeped. "Come." Picard said, not looking up. The doors hissed open and Captain Benjamin Sisko walked in. At this Captain Picard looked up. "Captain." Picard said. "Good morning Captain Picard!" Sisko said smiling. His smile disappeared very quickly. "There's a sub-space message for you from Admiral Haftel." "Could you patch it through here Captain?" "Yes." Sisko replied. He tapped his combadge. "Sisko to Bridge. Patch Captain Picard's message to his ready room on the Enterprise." "Yes sir!" said a voice on the other end of the comm. Captain Sisko gave a quick nod to Picard and walked out. Picard pulled his computer forward to himself and tapped a button on it. To Picard's surprise as much as anyone else's he found himself getting caught up in a transporter beam as soon as he pressed the button and was taken away molecule by molecule.  
  
Captain Sisko tapped his combadge from his own bridge. "Sisko to Picard." No response, "Sisko to Captain Picard, Respond!" Still no response, "Sisko to Commander Riker." "Riker here!" "Commander, where is Captain Picard?" "I haven't seen him.I'll check." He replied. He then asked the computer, "Computer, what is the location of Captain Picard?" "Captain Picard is not aboard the Enterprise or Deep Space 9." The computer droned in reply. Commander Riker frowned. "Captain Sisko, Captain Picard isn't aboard the Enterprise or the station. Do you know if he could have went somewhere?" "No Commander, he wasn't scheduled to go anywhere." "Computer." Riker asked again ".What is the last known location of Captain Picard?" "Captain Picard's last known location was in the Enterprise Ready Room." "Where did he go then?" Riker asked again frowning. "Unknown."  
  
12 Hours Later..  
  
Commander Riker walked into the Captains Ready Room where there was a security team and Commander LaForge trying to find what happened to the Captain. "What do we have?" Riker asked Commander LaForge. "Someone on the station rigged his console to be a transporter. When he activated it, he was beamed away. The transporter signal registered as Borg." "Are we able to leave the station yet?" Riker inquired. "Not yet sir," Worf replied. "Repairs are incomplete." "How incomplete?" "Holograms are still malfunctioning, astrophysics is undergoing massive repairs and deflector control is only eighty-nine percent complete." "Riker to Bridge!" Riker said tapping his combadge. "Lay in a course for the Delta Quadrant, maximum warp!" "Sir, repairs are incomplete." "I'm aware of that, take us as close to the Delta Quadrant as possible!" "Yes sir!"  
  
Acting Captains Log, Stardate 535642.4.At full warp its going to take the Enterprise 75 years to get to Borg Territory. We are planning to go there anyway, assuming they will come after us. However, we have detected transwarp signatures that match that of a Borg Transwarp Hub. We hope to use it to get to Borg territory quicker, however this means probably fighting past numerous Borg vessels, so we have requested reinforcements, however we have had no response.  
  
"Lieutenant, how far are we from the transwarp signature?" Commander Riker asked from the command chair. "At our current speed, we will be there in four hours, fourteen minutes, twelve seconds, eight - " "Thank you, Data!" "Sorry sir,"  
  
Four hours, ten minutes later  
  
"Sir!" Worf said from Tactical "There is a Borg Cube approaching from the transwarp hub." "Red alert, all hands, battle stations!" Commander Riker said. "Lieutenant Worf, can we contact Starfleet from here?" "Yes sir, however the message will take five days at least to reach them - providing its not intercepted." "Dispatch a message on a Starfleet Frequency to all our vessels and stations, 'We have engaged The Borg'" The Enterprise rocked violently. "What was that?" Riker asked Worf. "The Borg Cube has locked a tractor beam on us. They are pulling us in." "Can we use the deflector to send a feedback loop up their tractor beam?" "Yes sir, I'll do it now!" The deflector exploded. "Engineering to Bridge!" LaForge said across the Comm "We have lost the deflector!" "What do you mean 'lost'?" Commander Riker asked frowning. "I mean, it's gone. It just blew up!" "Why?" "Probably because we left Deep Space 9 before the deflector was repaired!" LaForge said angrily. "Commander!" Riker snapped. "Sorry sir." "Can we repair it?" "We'll need to replicate a new deflector, that could take hours, but it's the only way." The Enterprise shook again. "Do it then!" Commander Riker looked up at the tactical station "Worf, are weapons still working?" "Yes sir," "Fire on the Cube!" "Minimal damage to the Borg Cube's outer hull." The Enterprise shook again. "Hull breaches, deck 5, 7, 9, and 23!" Worf said. "Can we tell if the Captain is on that ship?" "He's not aboard sir." "Take us past the cube, and then get us into that transwarp hub, maximum warp!" "We can't reach maximum warp without breaching the Warp Core." "How fast can we go?" "Warp 3.6" "That's it?" "Yes sir!" "Do it then!" The Enterprise didn't move. "Report!" Commander Riker said, getting annoyed. "We have lost warp power, and impulse power. We only have thrusters." "How long will it take us to get to the transwarp hub using thrusters?" "Two months sir." "Could we integrate a Borg Warp Coil into our own engine?" "It should be compatible with some small adjustments, but getting the warp coil off the Borg will be very, very dangerous." "Data, how dangerous?" "I was estimate that the chances of successfully boarding a Borg Cube, finding a Warp Coil, disconnecting it, and then returning it to the Enterprise without damaging it or loosing any officers would be 870 to 1." "870 to 1 is better than nothing. Commander Data, Commander Worf, take a team to the Borg Cube and find the warp coil." "Aye sir!"  
  
The away team consisting of Lieutenant Commander Data, Lieutenant Commander Worf and a young man just out the academy called Ensign Chamberlain materialised in the Borg vessel. They all had their phasers at the ready. The Borg drones ignored them. "Based on current information about the Borg, they will ignore us until we appear a threat. If we are careful we will be able to get the warp coil before they pay any attention to us, however upon trying to take the coil off them, we will be attacked." Data said calmly. The Away Team began walking cautiously through the Borg Vessel until they found the warp coil. Data took out a tricorder and began scanning the coil. "It will take 4.35 minutes to successfully disengage this coil. Ensign, Commander, I will need you to cover me." "Yes sir!" Chamberlain and Worf said. Data tapped on the Borg LCARS menu. An alarm went off, and Borg Drones began coming out of their alcoves and walking towards them. Data continued to key in commands into the LCARS menu while Worf and Chamberlain covered him. The Borg adapted to their phasers. Chamberlain began to panic. "Ensign!" Data said calmly without looking up. "I need you to remain calm. If you are lost then the chances we will fail are raised by 5462." That did not calm Ensign Chamberlain down. Now that his phaser didn't work, he ran at the nearest drone. The drone was undamaged, but Chamberlain fell back. The drone grabbed Chamberlain by the shoulder and assimilated him. Worf shot Chamberlain who was already sprouting Borg Implants. "Done!" Data said picking up the warp coil. "Data to Enterprise! Two to beam up, and one object!" The transporter took Worf and Data and they materialised on The Enterprise.  
  
"Ensign Chamberlain?" Riker asked as soon as they arrived. "He was assimilated sir." Data said calmly. Riker sighed. "How long will it take us to install the warp coil?" "About one hour." "We don't have that kind of time! You've got ten minutes!"  
  
Ten minutes later Riker tapped his combadge from the bridge. "Bridge to Engineering, will it work?" "Yes sir, but we can only reach Warp 5." "It'll do. Helm, take us into the transwarp hub, warp 5!" The Enterprise moved towards to transwarp hub. The Borg Cube chased after them. "Sir!" Worf exclaimed "The Borg are chasing us, they are moving at Warp 7." "How long before they are within weapons range?" "Two minutes." "Bridge to Engineering, can we get any more speed?"  
  
"I can give you Warp 7 or 8 if we slow down just now." Commander LaForge replied over the comm. "We can't slow down Commander, we've got to get to the transwarp hub before the Borg catch up! Keep trying to give us as much speed as you can." "Yes sir."  
  
The Borg Cube fired on the Enterprise. "Sir!" Worf exclaimed again. "Hull breaches, deck 14, 16, and 25!" "Return fire, try to damage their weapons array." Worf fired torpedoes and phasers at the Borg vessel. "The Borg's weapons are down to twenty five percent strength." "Again!" Worf fired more torpedoes at their weapons array. "Their weapons have failed." Worf sighed. "They're moving back." Riker sighed. "Slow us down to Warp 2, to save warp power. How much longer till we get to the transwarp hub?" "At warp 2," Data replied " four minutes, fifteen seconds." "Keep us going at Warp 2. Stay on red alert, and do continuous scans for Borg vessels."  
  
Five minutes later, the Enterprise reached the Transwarp hub. They dropped to quarter impulse and began to move into the hub. "Commander Worf," Riker said looking up at Tactical "Can we tell if there is any Borg vessels on the other end of the transwarp hub?" "No sir, however, considering it is in Borg Space, I would assume there will be Borg at the other end." Worf replied. "Shields up. Take us in, thrusters only." The Enterprise moved through the hub and came out the other end in a matter of minutes. "What's are position?" "We are in a Class 4 Nebula. Long range sensors are detecting Borg vessels. They have not detected us."  
  
Meanwhile, on board Borg Cube Designation 21235, Captain Picard was taken before the Collective. "Borg Designation, Locutus of Borg, You are going to return to Federation space with your vessel. You will be injected with Borg Nanoprobes, which will act as a virus. These nanoprobes will spread among your people, resulting in their assimilation. Resistance is Futile." "And what if I have no desire to assimilate the Federation?" "Your desires are irrelevant, you must comply." "I am Locutus of Borg. My desires are very relevant." Picard said. "You haven't forgotten us Locutus?" Said a woman's voice. Picard looked around. The Borg Queen was standing in the doorway. "I didn't think you had. You still remember us. Don't you?" Picard looked at her. "Yes.I remember you. But I am not Locutus of Borg anymore. That was a long time ago." "You are Locutus. You just told us you were. You still remember us. You can not give orders to my Collective if you are not Locutus, can you? What if I told them you weren't Locutus? Let's try that!" She said with an evil smile. Borg drones came out their alcoves. An alarm had gone off somewhere. The Drones were coming toward him. Four or five of them grabbed him by the arms. The Queen came towards him and injected him with her nanoprobes. Nothing seemed to happen. She nodded at the drones and they let go of Picard. The Borg Queen moved towards one of the LCARS menus behind her, and activated it. Picard was beamed away. He materialised on the Enterprise Bridge.  
  
"Sir?" Riker said, who was still sitting in the command chair. "Number One, where are we?" Picard asked. "The Delta Quadrant, in a Class 4 Nebula.we were looking for you." Riker replied, standing up and taking his own chair. "Don't take us back yet.I need to see the Doctor." Picard said moving towards the turbolift. "Can I ask why we aren't going back? This nebula is crawling with Borg." "Yes, The Borg Queen injected me with something. I'd rather not go back to Federation Space because The Borg Queen told me that it was to act as a contagious virus." "Aye sir!"  
  
Ten minutes later, Picard walked into The Enterprise Sickbay. Doctor Crusher came up to him immediately and began scanning him all over with a medical tricorder. "Well?" Picard snapped impatiently. "Your blood has Borg Nanoprobes swimming all through it. It's the same technology used to assimilate people." Crusher said still scanning him even though she'd got all the readings she needed. "Then why am I not a Borg?" "I can not be certain.Either way we'll need to find out how to neutralise them.Computer, Activate the EMH Program!" The Emergency Medical Hologram materialised out of no where. "Please state the nature of the medical emergency," He said with a smile that made the whole situation seem so much more casual. "Captain Picard has been injected with Borg nanoprobes however they do not seem to be assimilating him. What do we know about Borg technology?" Crusher said quickly. "With all due respect sir, I'm a doctor not a nano-technician." "Oh yes," Doctor Crusher grumbled annoyed "Computer, disengage the EMH-" "Wait!" The EMH cut in. "I do know someone who does know a lot about Borg Nanoprobes." "Is he on this ship?" Crusher asked. "No." "Then he's not any help" "No, wait!" The EMH said again. "You can get him!" "How?" "Go into the Starfleet Medical Database. Search for the following program. EMH-NCC-74656.Download that program into our own memory," "EMH-NCC-74656? Voyager's EMH?" "Exactly! When Voyager was lost in the Delta Quadrant he dealt with more Borg than any other Doctor in history. Download him!" "Thank you. Computer disengage the EMH program." Crusher said. The EMH disappeared. Crusher moved towards her console. "Computer, bring up the medical database and display all EMH programs." A list of EMHs all appeared on her console display. There were a lot of them. "Computer, is EMH-NCC-74656 here?" "Affirmative." "Is it functioning?" "Affirmative." "Computer, download EMH-NCC-74656 into our own computer. Give it the new filename, EMH-2." "Download complete." "Computer, Activate the EMH-2 Program!" "Please state the nature of the medical emergency." Said the EMH-2 as it materialised out of no where. He then looked politely confused. "This isn't my ship.Who are you?" "I am Doctor Beverly Crusher, chief medical officer of the USS Enterprise." The EMH-2 smiled politely. "I am The Doctor, chief medical officer of the USS Voyager.How did I come to be aboard the Enterprise?" "Voyager has been home for a while now. The captain of this ship has a problem. He has been injected with Borg nanoprobes. We needed your help." "My help?" The Doctor smiled smugly. "Is your own EMH malfunctioning? Or did you need the best EMH in the Galaxy and Kathryn recommended me?" "That's Admiral Janeway to you!" Picard snapped from the biobed. "Of course." The EMH-2 said quietly his smile fading. "Well," Crusher said returning to the topic at hand. "We downloaded you into our own computer because we have very little information on Borg Nanoprobes. However our own EMH said that you knew quiet a bit about them." "Well," The EMH-2 said his smug smile back in place. "I am programmed with the collective knowledge of over 50 000 cultures. And I have operated on several Borg drones." His eyes then glazed over. He was now talking to himself more than Dr Crusher. "Seven of Nine.Echeb.my Son." "Your son?" Picard snapped. "Yes." The EMH-2 said returning from his daydream. "His name was One. An accident during transport combined some of Seven of Nine's nanoprobes with my own Mobile Emitter. And this resulted in a Borg Drone being born called One." "I read that report," Picard said relaxing. "Yes well. In any case," Doctor Crusher said trying to return to the topic at hand. "We really should find a way to help Captain Picard."  
  
The EMH-2 with Doctor Crusher's help began scanning trying to help Picard. Picard woke up. He'd been asleep while the two Doctors tried to help him. The EMH-2 gently pushed him back into the bed. "We could not remove the nano-probes. Since the time you were Locutus of Borg your body has begun to rely on Borg technology. However we seem to have been able to deactivate the virus. You should be OK now.sir."  
  
Captains Log, Stardate 5356432.4.Doctor Crusher and the EMH-2 seem to have helped me back to health. We are returning to Deep Space Nine just now.  
  
"Mr Data, what's our ETA?" "Two hours, seven minutes, sixteen seconds, thirteen milliseconds, twenty nanoseconds, and point two picoseconds." No reply, Data was surprised. Picard would usually have told him to 'Shut up Mister Data' at about thirteen milliseconds. Data looked round at the command chair. Captain Picard was gone. "Computer, what is the location of Captain Picard?" Data asked looking politely confused. "Captain Picard is in turbolift beta." "Where is his turbolift going?" "Main Engineering." Data cocked his head to the side confused. "Sir," He said turning to Commander Riker. "Permission to leave the Bridge." "Is there a problem Mister Data?" "Maybe not sir. But I believe the captain may be in danger." "What makes you say that?" "The captain went to engineering before I answered his question." "So?" "You could call it a.'gut feeling'." Data replied sheepishly. Riker raised an eyebrow. He then waved a hand to the turbolift. Data stood up and went in. "Main Engineering." Data ordered the turbolift calmly. The Turbolift stopped moving as it reached its destination. The doors hissed open, and Data found himself face to face with Captain Picard. Data couldn't put a finger on what it was, but there was something strange about the way Captain Picard was looking at him. Almost as if he were sleepwalking, "Good afternoon, sir." Data said blankly. "Good afternoon Mr Data." Picard replied still looking at him as though he wasn't really there. "Incorrect sir. The time is 1100 hours." Data said. "Do you feel alright sir?" "Fine Mr Data." "Are you certain?" "Yes Mister Data. I was just in Sickbay just now to make sure those nanoprobes were still dormant." "Incorrect again sir. You were in Main Engineering. Sickbay is not on this deck." "Ahhh, yes, I was going to engineering!" Picard said turning around. Data grabbed onto his shoulder. "Sir. I must ask you to report to sickbay." "Why, is someone ill?" Picard asked, still not really looking at Data. If it were anyone else he were talking to, Picard might seem quiet scary. "Yes sir. I believe you are under the influence of Borg Nanoprobes which are forcing you to move through the Enterprise and assimilate anyone you come in contact with." "Don't be ridiculous Mr Data." "Computer!" Data said looking up for no real reason. "Scan for Borg lifesigns in Engineering." "Seven members of the Engineering staff are currently showing signs of Borg technology." "Captain," Data said. "I must relive you of duty and have you quarantined until we arrive at Federation territory."  
  
Two hours later the arrived back at Deep Space Nine. The EMH-2 had an idea on how to cure Captain Picard. "Reprogram the Nanoprobes?" Crusher asked. "Yes! Anyone with Borg Nanoprobes in them is able to reprogram another Borg." "Good idea - one question; where are we going to get another Borg?"  
  
Earth Stardate 535643.4. San Francisco. Residential Area.  
  
The away team consisting of Commander Data and Doctor Crusher materialised in a residential area in San Francisco. They went up to an address that was given to the EMH-2. They rang the doorbell. "Enter!" Came a cold female voice from inside. The doors hissed open. "State your designation!" The woman said. She had cybernetic implants. "My name is Doctor Beverly Crusher, this is Lieutenant Commander Data." The woman looked at them and recognised the badge they were wearing. "I am Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One. You may call me Seven.State your intentions." "We are from the USS Enterprise. Our captain has been injected in with Borg nanoprobes programmed to assimilate anyone he comes into contact with. He depends on them to survive so we can't remove them. However, someone told us you can help reprogram them." Seven of Nine looked suspiciously at them. "Who told you this?" "The Doctor." Crusher said sheepishly. "The Emergency Medical Hologram?" Seven of Nine looking up. "Yes!" Doctor Crusher said, relived that Seven of Nine knew what she meant. "What is the patients name?" "Captain Jean-Luc Picard." "Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Commanding officer, NCC-1701-E. Borg Designation, Locutus of Borg." Seven of Nine said, slightly surprised for a Borg. "I will comply." "Thank You" Doctor Crusher said, relived. "Crusher to Enterprise, beam myself and Seven of Nine to sickbay, and Commander Data to the transporter room." Said Crusher to her combadge, and they all disappeared in a blaze of light and molecules.  
  
Chief Medical Officers Log, Stardate 535644.4.The reprogramming of the nanoprobes was a success. Seven of Nine has successfully programmed the nanoprobes so they automatically shut themselves down whenever they are activated as before hand, the nanoprobes were programmed to force him to walk around his ship passing the Borg virus onto others. Now the nanoprobes are harmless.  
  
Captains Log, Stardate 535644.4. For seven years I have been prejudiced against The Borg because of what they done to me. I always knew they were evil, and I still believe it. However today, I learned that they are not evil because they want to be evil. They are evil because they have no choice. I never thought I'd make a log entry saying this, however today a Borg drone saved my life and possibly the life of everyone in the Federation. So, after much begging to Starfleet Command, Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One is promoted to the rank of Ensign with all the duties and privileges of that rank. Thank You, Ensign.  
  
"Are we ready to leave the station?" Picard asked stepping onto the Bridge. "Whenever your ready Captain." Riker replied smiling. Picard looked down at the helm where his newest officer was sitting. "Ensign Nine, lay in a course bearing 54636.53, warp 6." "Course laid in Captain." Seven of Nine, now dressed in a red Starfleet Ensign uniform said coolly without looking up at the Captain. "Engage!" 


End file.
